Metal-working.



N. E. CLARK. METAL WORKING.

APPLICATION FILED our. 23, 1912.

Patented Feb. 11, 1913.

WTTD TATEg a re.

METAL-WORKING.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 11, 1913.

Application filed October 23, 1912. Serial No. 727,285.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, Normls ELMORE CLARK, a citizen of the United States, and resident of Plainville, in the county of Hartford and State of Connecticut, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Metal-Working, of which the following is a specification.

This inventon relates particularly to a method of forming reticulated metal suitable for instance for concrete reinforcement and metal lath.

My principal object is to provide a simple method which will require relatively inexpensive mechanism for carrying it .out and which will produce economically a superior product.

Briefly considered the invention consists in first scoring sections of a sheet of metal in a suitable arrangement leaving parallel unscored margins and also, if desired, intermediate strips. The scoring may be effected by slitting, punching or indenting the sheet in staggered arrangement so that the scored section is extensible in a direction at right angles to its length. Each scored section is made up of two scored portions, the score marks of the two. portions of a section being arranged diagonally relative to the length of the sheet and so as to converge forwardly toward a point midway between the edges of the section. The sheet is then subjected to the action of corrugating dies or rolls, and the corrugations are allowed for by the extensionof the scored sections so that the width of the corru ated sheet is substantially the same as be ore. The corrugated sheet is then subjected to the action of which increases thewvidth of the sheet and produces the finished product of a thickness substantially equal to twice the wldth of the strands of the scored sheet. The nonscored portions of the sheet may also be submitted to transverse or longitudinal corrugation depending upon the mechanism employed or the character of the product desired.

Figure 1, is a diagrammatic view of a train of rolls for carrying out the process in one way. Fig. 2, is a diagrammatic View of a train of rolls and punches for carrying out the process in another way. Fig. 3, is a fragment of a sheet showing the arrangement of the scoring according to my invention. Fig. 4, 1s a diagrammatic view of a 8, 9 and 10.

spreading mechanism I fragment of a finished product made according to my improved method with transversely corrugated longitudinal strips. Fig. 4B is a similar view of a fabric with a flat border strip. Fig. 5, is a fragmentary sectional view showing dies for bending over the edges of the sheet. Fig. 6, is a fragmentary sectional view showing dies for longitudinally oorrugating a scored sheet. Fig. 7 shows a pair. of grooved rolls such as may be used for longitudinally corrugating the scored sheet or for feeding the longitudinally corrugated stock, Figs. 8, 9 and 10 show rolls for performing successive steps in spreading the fabric. Fig. 11, is a diagrammatic sectional view of fabric made according to my invention and showing longitudinally corrugated ribs.

The sheet is scored by suitable cutters, punches or dies so as to consist of three or more longitudinal strips 1, 1, and extensible sections 2, 2. The scoring may be by cutting the metal either with or without removing metal or by indenting the metal so that it is weakened along the desired lines and thus made susceptible to fracture in a subsequent rolling or oorrugating operation. The scoring is along lines diagonal relative to the length of the sheet and each section is made up of two scored portions 3 and 4, the-lines of which converge toward the center 5 of the section. There are a number of slits or score marks in each of the rows so as to form diagonally arranged strands 6 and 7 with adjacent strands connected to each other at a plurality of points such as The strips 1, 1, 1, may be made of any desirable Width depending upon the character of product desired. The score marks of the two portions 3 and 4 may approach each other along the center line 5 as near as desired. In the arrangement shown in Fig. 3 there is a continuous strip of metal 5 connecting the scored portion 3 and the scored portion 4 but the score marks of the two portions may be connected so as to entirely interrupt the continuity of the strip 5 as indicated for instance, by the cross connecting mark 5 in the scored section, Fig. 3.

In Fig. 1, the rolls 11 are for feeding the blank stock. The rolls 12 are for slitting or otherwise scoring according to the arrangement shown in Fig. 3. The rolls 13 smooth the scored stock and remove bur formed by the scoring operation. The rolls 14 are for bending over the edges of the sheet so that it may be more readily fed through the longitudinal corrugating rolls 15 and 16. The scored stock is fed in the direction of the arrows of Figs. 1, 2 and 3. By forming the longitudinal corrugations gradually a more uniform action can be attained. The longitudinal corrugating action bends the strands 6 and 7 and opens out the meshes as indicated in Fig. 6. Rolls such as 17 may be used to feed the metal and form transverse corrugations (Fig. 4) in the un-scored portions 1, 1. These transverse corrugations compensate for-the tendency of the scored ortion to decrease in length in the longitudlnal corrugating action of the sheet and prevent distortion even though the mechanism employed be of light weight. The connecting portion 5. tends to travel backward relative to the strips 1, 1, and the uniform corrugation action is facilitated by assisting in this relative longitudinal movement. The longitudinally corrugated product, of the original width of the sheet but of a thickness determined by the depth of the longitudinal corrugations, is then spread out for instance, by being fed through a number of rolls such as 18, 19, 20 and 21 which gradually spread the sheet without closing up the meshes formed in. the longitudinal corrugating action. The sheet is then fed out by means of one or more pairs of rolls such as 22 (and 23 Fig. 2) which serves to set the strands and prevent the sheet from buckling.

In thearrangement shown in Fig. 2 the scoring is accomplished by slitting dies 121, one member of which is reciprocable. The edge bending is accomplished by dies 14:1 and the longitudinal corrugation is effected by dies 151 one of which is reciprocable,

preferably the upper. By inclining the lower edge of the upper die 151 backward and upward from the front end, the corrugating action is accomplished gradually and therefore without danger of rupturing the strands. By arranging transverse corrugating rolls such as 17 adjacent the longitudinal corrugating dies 151, the unslitted portions can be fore-shortened to correspond with the fore-shortenin of the slitted portions in the longitudina corrugating action of the sheet. 1

When the strip 5 is cross-scored as at 5 Fig. 3, the finished product may have small tangs such as 5" Fig. 4 connecting the adjacent strands of the two scored portions 3 and 4 midway between the longitudinal strips 1, 1.

By employing suitable dies or rolls the longitudinal un-scored portions of the sheet may be given longitudinal corrugations so pairs of as to form channels or corrugated ribs such as 24 and 25 some of which, if desired, may be made to project substantially from the plane of the reticulated portion of the sheet.

The entire process may be carried out in a single machine or preferably the scoring may be done on one machine and the corrugating and spreading in another-or the corrugating and spreading maybe done in separate machines. 7

The formation of the channels or longitudinally corrugated ribs may be either before or after the scoring operation or during the longitudinal corrugating of the scored sections or before, during or after the spreading action. The formation of the'channels may entirely compensate for the spreading out of the scored sections and in fact if the ribs are very deep the product may be of less width than the original blank sheet.

The right to claim the mechanism herein disclosed is reserved for other applications.

What I claim is 5 1. The method of forming areticulated product which consists in scoring a plurality of sections of a sheet along diagonal lines inclined toward the center of each section, then longitudinally corrugating the sheet so as to increase its thickness without decreasing its width and then spreadlng out the corrugations laterally so as to increase the width of the sheet.

2. The method of forming a reticulated product which consists'in scoring a section of a sheet along diagonal lines converging toward the center of the sheet and in staggered arrangement, feeding the sheet forward in the direction of convergence, subjecting the scored section to a longitudinal corrugating action to form meshes and then flattening the sheet without closing the meshes.

3. The method of forming a reticulated product which consists in scoring a plurality of sections of a sheet along diagonal lines inclined toward the center-of each section, then longitudinally corrugating the sheet so as to increase its thickness and then successively and gradually bending the halves of the corrugated sections'beginning at the outer edge so as to flatten the sheet.

4. The method of forming a reticulated metal product which consists in scoring sections of a sheet, gradually feeding and corrugating the scored sections longitudinally and then. spreading out the corrugated sections.

5. The method of forming a reticulated metal product which consists in scoring sections of a sheet, graduall'y feeding and corrugating the scored sections longitudinally and then gradually spreading out the cor-' rugated sections.

6. The method of forming a reticulated metal product which consists in scoring sections of a sheet, corrugating the sheet longitudinally along the centers of the scored sections and along the unscored portions and spreading the corrugated sections.

7. The method of forming a reticulated metal product which consists in scoring sections of a sheet, corrugating the scored sections longitudinally, corrugating the unscored sections longitudinally and spreading the scored sections laterally.

8. The method of forming a reticulated metal product Which consists in scoring sections of a sheet, longitudinally corrugating the scored sections, transversely corrugating the unscored sections and spreading out the scored sections.

'9. The method of forming a reticulated metal product Which consists in scoring sections of a sheet, longitudinally feeding and corrugating the scored sect-ions, feeding and transversely corrugating the unscored sections and feeding and spreading out the scored sections.

NORRIS ELMORE CLARK.

Witnesses:

E. BRADFORD, R. S. ALLYN. 

